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R. BUCHI.

APPLE FEELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 9, I9I4.

1l l 93., l l Patented Aug; 1, 1916.

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A. I 5o i Ig IEI R.- BUCHI.

APPLE FEELING MACHINE. APPLlcAnoN FILED Nov. 9. 1914.

Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

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APPLE FEELING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 9. I9I4.

Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

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ROBERT Buoni, or CHICAGO, ILLrnors.

APPLE-PEELING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1916.

Application fled November 9, 1914. Serial No. 871,058.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT BUGHI, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apple-Peeling Machines, of which the following is a speciiication.

My invention relates to apple peeling machines, and has for its object the production of a device of this character which will-be of improved construction and efficient in operation. l

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

rlfhe invention consists in the combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of an apple peeling machine embodying my invention, Fig. 2 is a -side elevation of the machine, with a portion thereof shown in section, Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the machine, and Fig. 4 is a detail section taken on line aJ-:c of Fig. 2.

The preferred form of construction as illustrated in the drawings comprises a supporting frame 1 formed at its lower end for engagement with a suitable support such as a table top, and provided with a thumb screw 1l for clamping the same in position. Provided at the lower portion of the machine is an apple holder 2 upon which the apple to be peeled is adapted to be arranged.v Said holder is formed of a plurality of radially disposed blades having knife edges for piercing the central portion or core of the apple so that, when said holder is rotated, the apple will be rotated substantially about its axis. Said holder is fixed to the forward end of a shaft 3 which is rotatably mounted in a bearing 4 in frame 1, the rear end of said shaft being provided with a pinion 5 which meshes with an internal gear 6 loosely mounted upon a stub shaft 7 mounted in frame 1. Upon gear 6 is provided a handle 8 through the medium of which said gear may be manually rotated.

Arranged directly above the apple holder 2is a vertically disposed shaft 9 which is rockingly mounted in a bearing 10 formed at the outer end of an arm 10, forwardly projecting from the main frame 1. Fixed to the upper end of shaft 9 is a laterally projecting arm 11 and fixed to the lower end of said shaft is a segmental or mutilated gear 12. Fulcrumed at 13 to the outer end of arm 11 is a depending arm or lever 14, to the lower end of which is fixed a head 15 in which is mounted a blade 16 held in position by a screw 17. The lower end of arm 14, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, engages loosely between spaced elongated guide fingers 18 lwhich are formed integral with and which project outwardly from the gear 12, said fingers 18 serving simply as a reinforcement or guide for the lower end of arm 14 in the oscillatory movement thereof which as seen, is in a plane disposed radially relative to shaft 9. At the outer end of one of the fingers 18 is provided a stop 19 for limiting outward rocking of arm 14.

The lower end of knife carrying arm 14 is yieldingly pressed toward the apple holder 2 by means of a helical compression spring 20 which is mounted upon a bar 21 having its hooked inner end loosely embracing the lower portion of bearing 10. To the arm 14 is fixed an angular plate 22 having a perforated outwardly projecting portion which loosely embraces the bar 21, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. @ne end of the spring 20 engages against the member 22, the opposite end of said spring engaging against a stop 23 provided at the outer end of said bar, the arrangement being such that an inward pressure will be exerted upon the member 22 which will serve to yieldingly hold the lower end of knife carrying arm 14 at its inner terminal of movement.

Cooperating with the arm 11 is a' coil spring 24 fixed at its inner end to bearing 10, the outer end of said spring being fixed to said arm 11 by means of a pin, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3. r1`he spring 24, acting through the arm 11, serves to normally hold the shaft 9 and hence the arm 14 at one terminal of its oscillatory movement 0r in a position determined by the frame arm 10 which serves as a stop against which the arm 14 is adapted to engage. Rotation of shaft 9 in the opposite direction or against the iniiuence of spring 24 is effected by means of a segmental or mutilated spur gear 25 fixed to a counter shaft 26 mounted in the frame 1, said spur gear 25 being adapted to mesh with the spur gear 12 fixed to the lower end of shaft 9. Formed upon the upper side of gear 25 is a crown worm wheel 27 which 35 Y Formed upon the upper side of the arm 36 meshes with a worm 28 fixed to a shaft 29 mounted in the frame 1, said shaft 29 being provided with a pinion 30 which meshes with the gear 6, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. I/Vith this arrangement, it will be seen that upon rotation of the handle S, gear 25 will be rotated in such a direction that, when the `teeth thereof, are brough into mesh with the teeth of gear 12, the latter will be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction or against the tension of spring 24. Continued operation of handle 8 will cause the gear 12 to be turned through substantially 180 degrees, whereupon the mutilated portion of said gear will be brought into registration with the mutilated portion of gear 25, releasing said gear 12 so as to permit of return rocking of the shaft 9 by spring 24. The peeling operation takes place during thel counterclockwise rotation of gear 12 and in order to prevent further cutting of the apple, upon the return rotation of said gear or upon return of the knife to initial position, a cam 31 is provided which is loosely mounted upon the shaft 9. The amplitude of free Vmovement of said cam upon the shaft 9 is limited by means of stop shoulders 32 and 33 adapted for engagement with an upwardly projecting lug 34 which is formed upon the upper side of said cam, as clearly shown in Fig. 4. Pivotally connected at 35 with the arm 14, intermediate the ends of the latter, is an actuating arm 36, the inner forked end of which loosely engages with the shaftV 9, directly below the -cam 31.

is a lug 37 adapted, upon counter-clockwise movement of the shaft 9 and the parts associated therewith, to engage behind the cam 31 and push the latter around until the lug 34 engagesV against the stop shoulder 33. This engagement of said lug against said stop shoulder takes place just rbefore the shaft 9 and the parts associated therewith have reached the terminal of their counterclockwise movement, the arrangement being such that upon continued rotation of said shaft, after saidlug 34 has engaged against said shoulder, the lug 37 will ride upon the crest or outer surface 38 of the cam 31 and thereby move the arm 36 outwardly and hence rock the lower end of knife arm 14 outwardly. Said lug 37 through friction will remain in engagement with the surface 38 during the return rotation of the cutting mechanism, but will move from engagement therewith upon the movement of said cam being arrested through engagement of the lug 34 with the shoulder 32. Hence, with this arrangement, it will be seen, that during operative or counter-clockwise movement of `the cutting mechanism, the knife carrying arm will be at its inner terminal of movement in orderto adapt the same for engagement with the apple positioned upon the this position until the cutting mechanism has been returned to its initial position.

Pivotally mounted at 39 adjacent the apple holder 2 is a curved arm 40 adapted, when the lower end thereof is rocked forwardly, to engage with an apple which may be positioned upon said holder, and thrust the same from position thereon. Formed at the under side of the gear 25 is a flange 41 adapted, upon rotation of said gear, to engage with the upper end of arm 40 in order to actuate the same, as just mentioned. The flange 41 is so positioned that the actuation of arm 40 will take place just after the peeling operation has been completed, that is just after the cutting mechanism has been returned to its initial position.

Vith a construction as set forth then, it will be seen that in operation, it is only necessary to place the apple upon the holder 2 and then rotate the handle 8. lVhen this is done, the cutting blade 6, which is yieldingly held against the apple through the pressure of spring 20, will be moved in a semi-circular path around one side of the apple with the latter simultaneously rotating toward said knife. The result is that the apple will be completely peeled when the shaft 9 of the cutting mechanism connected therewith has been moved through 180 degrees. Vhen the peeling operation has been completed, the lower end of knife arm 14 will be automatically moved from engagement with the apple and returned to initial position by spring 24. Upon the return of the cutting mechanism to initial position the removing or ejecting arm L1-0 will be automatically actuated, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, to force the peeled apple from the holder 2 in order to make room for the next apple.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for c-arrying my invention into efect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an apple peeling machine, the combination of a frame; an apple holder rotatably mounted in said frame; an oscillatory shaft mounted in said frame; an arm connected with said shaft for movement therewith but adapted for oscillation in a radial plane relative thereto; a knife carried by said arm adapted for engagement with an apple mounted on said holder; means for yieldingly pressing said knife toward said holder during rocking of said shaft in one direction; a -cam on said shaft; an actuating arm disposed radially relative to said shaft having one end loosely engaging therewith for relative longitudinal movement and having its other end connected with said knife arm whereby, when said actuating arm is moved longitudinally outwardly, said knife arm will be rocked outwardly; and means on said actuating arm adapted for engagement with said cam to move said aotuating arm outwardly and hold the same in outward position during return rocking of said shaft, substantially as described.

2. In an apple peeling machine, the combination of a frame; an apple holder rotatably mounted in said frame; an oscillatory shaft mounted in said frame; an arm connected with said shaft for movement therewith but adapted for oscillation in a radial plane relative thereto; a knife carried by said arm adapted for engagement with an apple mounted on said holder; means for yieldingly pressing said knife toward said holder' during rocking of said shaft in one direction; means for moving said arm outwardly and holding the same in outwardly rocked position during return rocking of said shaft, said last mentioned means comprising a cam mounted for free oscillatory movement on said shaft; an actuating arm disposed radially relative to said shaft having one end loosely engaging therewith for free relative longitudinal movement and having its other end connected with said knife arm whereby, when said actuating arm is moved longitudinally outwardly, said knife arm will be rocked outwardly; a lug on said actuating arm adapted for coperation with said cam and adapted, when said shaft is oscillated in one direction, to push said cam freely along with the same; a stop for engagement with said cam as said shaft approaches the terminal of said movement, to arrest said cam so as to permit said lug riding up on the crest provided at the periphery of said cam to move said actuating arm outwardly, said lug remaining in engagement with said cam crest during return oscillation of said shaft; and a stop for engagement with said cam upon return oscillation of said shaft, to arrest movement of said cam in this direction in order to permit of said lug moving from engagement with said cam crest, substantially as described.

3. In an apple peeling machine, the combination of a frame; an apple holder rotatably mounted in said frame; an oscillatory Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the shaft mounted in said frame; an arm connected with said shaft for movement therewith but adapted for oscillation in a radial plane relative thereto; a knife carried by said arm adapted for engagement with an apple mounted on said holder; means for yieldingly pressing said knife toward said holder during rocking of said shaft in one direction; means for moving said arm outwardly and holding the same in outwardly rocked position during return rocking of said shaft, said last mentioned means comprising a cam mounted for free oscillatory movement on said shaft; an actuating arm disposed radially relative to said shaft having one end loosely engaging therewith for free relative longitudinal movement and having its other end connected with said knife arm whereby, when said actuating arm is moved longitudinally outwardly, said knife arm will be rocked outwardly; a lug on said actuating arm adapted for coperation with said cam and adapted, when said shaft is oscillated in one direction, to push said cam freely along with the same; a stop for engagement with said cam as said shaft approaches the terminal of said movement, to arrest said cam so as to permit said lug riding up on the crest provided at the periphery of said cam to move said actuating arm outwardly, said lug remaining in engagement with said cam crest during return oscillation of said shaft; a stop for engagement with said cam upon return oscillation of said shaft, to arrest movement of said cam in this direction in order to permit of said lug moving from engagement with said cam crest; manually operable means for positively oscillating said shaft; and resilient means for imparting return oscillation to said shaft, substantially as described.

4. In an apple peeling machine, an apple holder and means for rotating the same in combination with an oscillatory member, a bearing for said member, an arm pivotally connected at one end to said member, a knife on the free end of said arm, a rod pivotally connected to said bearing and provided with a stop, a spring interposed between said stop and said arm whereby said knife is held in yielding engagement with the apple on said holder and means for oscillating said member, substantially as de scribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT BUCHI.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR A. OLSON, .IosI-IUA R. I-I. Po'r'rs.

"Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

